The present invention relates generally to the field of internal combustion engines. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of fuel delivery systems for internal combustion engines and, also, to the field of pollution control systems for internal combustion engines.
The fuel burning efficiency of internal combustion engines is, in large part, determined by the physical state of the fuel upon entering the combustion chambers thereof. In conventional internal combustion engines, the fuel is mixed with air and then sprayed, in mist form, into the combustion chambers. Subsequently, a spark is produced within the combustion chamber that ignites many of the tiny droplets of misted fuel and air therein. The energy supplied by the engine is generated by the ignition of the tiny droplets of misted fuel and air just described. Therefore, the engine efficiency, in such terms as miles per gallon and power output per fuel consumed, etc., correlates directly to the amount of fuel (i.e. number of fuel droplets) left unburned after ignition in the combustion chambers of the engine.
Presently, internal combustion engines burn only a fraction of the fuel injected into the combustion chamber. Consequently, much of the unburned fuel is ejected by the engine's exhaust system into the atmosphere. Therefore, conventional internal combustion engines are rendered highly inefficient in addition to being a major contributor to atmospheric pollution. In passenger cars and trucks on the road today, recirculation systems have been devised in an effort to capture and reuse the unburned fuel after ejection from the combustion chamber. However, with these systems, much of the fuel is still left unburned and eventually escapes into the atmosphere. Also, attempts have been made to increase the amount of fuel burned during ignition in the combustion chamber. These attempts generally include a heating device or system that seeks to heat and thereby expand the liquid fuel, while keeping the fuel in the liquid state, before entering the fuel injectors or carburetor. Although the engine efficiency may be slightly increased thereby, much of the fuel is still left unburned after ignition within the combustion chambers of the engine. Furthermore, these prior systems and devices generally include relatively complex support systems and components that must be integrated into the various existing supply and power systems of the engine. There is, therefore, a need in the industry for an apparatus and method that seeks to improve the fuel burning efficiency of internal combustion engines.